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TWL Chapter 274: When Hunters Become the Hunted
🕑 Added 2024-12-20 23:35:40 +0000 UTCEist had planned to return to An Skellig to meet with Bran, and request more clan soldiers as reinforcements. However, upon hearing that Lugos and Holger had broken into the mountain by force, he decided to hurry back.
But he arrived too late.
As Eist and his men were about to climb the mountain, he received news that Lugos and Holger had already moved on. By the time they reached the halfway point, they encountered Lugos' group returning.
According to them, they had located the Vildkaarls' hideout.
This had been possible because the soldiers of the An Craite and Tuirseach clans had already searched the mountains, eliminating many wrong options. In addition, Lugos and Holger found traces of the path Geralt and Gerd had taken with Bill's guidance, which gave them a rough direction. After dispersing hundreds of soldiers to search the area without worrying about noise, they soon found the Vildkaarls' shelter.
Now Bill walked behind Gerd, his expression full of remorse, as they both stood in the ranks of the Tuirseach clan.
Lugos, with a mocking smile, began to speak enthusiastically: "These followers of dark gods are nothing more than a bunch of cowards. The true warriors who could have faced us were exterminated by our ancestors. Those who remain are no different from those we normally plunder."
Eist interrupted him in a cold tone: "Did you confront them? Did you eliminate them all?"
"No. Better yet." Lugos replied with a smile. "Upon hearing our movements, they fled in terror. We even freed several captured young men, saving them from becoming living sacrifices to their evil god."
With a theatrical gesture, Lugos pointed to a group of young people behind him. There were a dozen of them, all with pale skin, sunken eyes and a disoriented appearance, but alive.
"They are all subjects of my Ard Skellig Island." Lugos laughed proudly.
Eist nodded to the rescued young men. However, they remained motionless, not even noticing his gesture.
Eist nodded to the rescued young men. However, they remained motionless, not even noticing his gesture. "Liberating the people of Skellige is certainly an achievement." Eist said. "But, Lugos, Holger, do you remember our mission? We must eradicate the Svalblod cult, complete the task left by our ancestors, and free Skellige from this threat. Your recklessness could have ruined everything."
Lugos snorted in disdain. "Do you still think that cult is a threat? They're just a bunch of clowns who run away at the slightest noise. Perhaps the berserkers Lannister killed at your castle were the entire remaining force of the Vildkaarls."
Lugos sneered: "From that perspective you could say you destroyed the Svalblod cult, but that achievement doesn't count."
Holger, who had remained silent, finally spoke: "Eist, I respect you. But you have no chance of winning now. Neither Lugos nor I have completed the task of eradicating the Svalblod cult, but at least we have destroyed their new haven and rescued the hostages. We are ahead of you."
Eist was not intimidated. His presence, more imposing than that of Lugos and Holger together, remained unwavering. "You don't understand. According to our information, the cult has more berserkers. This is not just a matter of succession to the throne. Since you are here, I invite you to join and continue the search in the mountains. I'm sure they have other hiding places."
Holger replied coldly: "We will, but not with you."
Lugos burst out laughing. "Berserkers? Where? If they existed, with the personality of the Vildkaarls, they would have already come out to confront us."
He pointed at the rescued youths mockingly. "These are your feared berserkers? Look at them!"
The young men were all in a trance and did not react to Lugos' words.
Eist took a deep breath and felt that communicating with Lugos was particularly tiring.
Behind Eist, Gerd looked at Bill, who looked dejected. He placed a firm hand on his shoulder and said in a calm voice: "Don't blame yourself and don't worry. The qualities you've shown so far are worthy of the title of warrior, and what's happening now is not your fault."
Then, with a smile, he added: "You and your lover will definitely have a good ending. Lann is a very good person. If I didn't have a lord to follow, I would probably..."
Bill interrupted him with a groan, holding his head as if something was tormenting him, and said intermittently: "My head hurts... Mr. Ged... something's wrong."
Sweat ran down his forehead as he continued: "My memories are becoming clearer. That place they found... is not where I was trapped. It is not the true refuge of the Vildkaarls... Something happened, something I forgot..."
"No, no, this isn't right... it shouldn't be like this..."
Bill's face turned into a mask of terror, as if he had committed an unforgivable crime. His skin, pale as a corpse's, lost all traces of color, and his eyes went dull as if the life had left them.
Gerd frowned and, almost instinctively, moved his right hand to the hilt of his sword.
As he prepared for combat, he reached out a hand and shook Bill lightly, as if trying to show some concern to his flustered partner.
But suddenly, his movement stopped dead.
His keen senses picked up an unusual sound around him.
In front of him, Eist and the jarls of the two clans argued heatedly. Their soldiers, behind them, kept their attention fixed on the other side.
Yet beneath the din of shouting and arguing, Gerd heard a low sound, like a murmur that echoed with the cadence of a chant.
It was an old, solemn sound, with an almost sickly tone of fervor. It sounded like a prayer, and it came from all directions.
If that sound was human, it meant one thing: the enemies were positioned and had surrounded them.
Gerd's amber pupils dilated sharply, as if an invisible hand had squeezed his heart. His instincts screamed at him that danger was not only coming from the surroundings, but also from someone very close.
...
"Roar--!!"
Lugos and Holger suddenly heard a deafening roar, like the cry of a giant bear.
The sound came from behind them.
At that instant, they saw Eist, who was wearing a face of pure panic as he ran towards them desperately.
...
Moments earlier.
On the mountainside, soldiers from the Tuirseach, Drummond and Dimun clans were still engaged in a heated discussion.
Among the trees of the nearby forest, a group of hunters advanced in absolute silence.
Their figures were lost in the shadows and their movements, supported by the undergrowth of the forest, were so stealthy that they produced no sound.
Their target was clear: the soldiers stationed on the hillside.
Unlike the soldiers, these hunters wore very basic equipment. They did not even wear leather armor; their bare torsos revealed tense muscles and arms marked by countless scars, witnesses to mortal wounds that would have killed anyone else.
Their bodies were wrapped in simple battle skirts and covered with thick cloaks made from the skins of wolves, boars and bears.
They were the Vildkaarls, devotees of the god Svalblod.
Armed only with short axes and round shields, their numbers barely amounted to a tenth of the combined forces of the three clans.
They did not fear death. In fact, they sought it out.
A burly, bald man with a long beard emerged from among them.
Unlike the Vildkaarl warriors, who moved in a crouched position, this man walked upright, as if he were strolling calmly through the forest.
The trees around him seemed to move to make way for him, even helping to conceal his presence and absorb any sound of his footsteps.
Everything pointed to one truth: he was a druid.
Seeing him, the Vildkaarls bowed deeply and said in a low voice: "High Priest Artis."
Although Artis was still far from the Skellige soldiers, his gaze pierced the thick forest and took in every detail of the hillside.
"With so many powerful warriors, they prefer to take refuge on these small islands, handing over the vast mainland to weaklings like those..." He said with contempt.
His gaze swept over the soldiers, and he continued speaking coldly: "And here they are, playing a ridiculous game of kings... Ha! They even bring women into battle. Women in armor and shields... What do they think is the glory of a warrior?"
Behind Holger, a female warrior stood with her shield, brave and determined. Her athletic body and hardened hands spoke of years of training.
But to the fallen druid, all this was blasphemy.
"It is clear that they need the guidance of my god, Svalblod. They need the glow of his divinity." Artis murmured coldly.
The bowed warriors chanted in low unison: "Our god, Svalblod."
Artis nodded in satisfaction as he saw the devotees ready to fight.
"The plan at An Skellig went very well. The dead warriors were also part of the blood sacrifice. The dedication of the faithful may please my god even more."
Then he raised his voice and solemnly declared: "Now, let us offer these heretics as a sacrifice! We have waited decades for this moment."
"Onward, warriors! Fight, kill, die and delight our god Svalblod!"
The warriors, with eyes burning like embers, began to recite fervent prayers.
"For my god - Svalblod!"
Meanwhile, Artis backed away as he disappeared into the forest, his figure covered by leaves and branches. He had other tasks to attend to.
From the path he had left behind, the roars of beasts could be heard coming from deep within the forest. Not only were there the howls of wolves or the growls of bears; there were also the shrieks of magical creatures and, occasionally, deeper, more ominous roars.
Accompanying the roars of the beasts, the Vildkaarl warriors prostrated themselves completely on the ground. They no longer tried to hide their presence, but instead began to recite chants with fervor.
